Miss World organisers have axed bikinis from this year’s pageant in Indonesia, replacing them with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hardline Muslim groups.
The 2013 competition is being hosted in the resort island of Bali and the capital, Jakarta, in September.
All contestants will be required to wear Bali’s traditional long sarongs instead of the bikinis that are traditionally part of the competition, said Adjie Soeratmadjie, local organiser.
He said the Miss World Organisation has agreed to the request out of respect for the traditional customs and values of Indonesia.
Most Muslims in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Islamic country, are moderate, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.
Mr Soeratmadjie said: “This is a sensitive issue in Indonesia. We have discussed it since last year and they have agreed.”
